Kodak Instamatic 304

by Karen Nakamura

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overview and Personal Comments

 

 

Interesting quirks

 

 


Technical Details

Camera Name
Instamatic 304
Manufacturer
Kodak
Place of Manufacture

 

Date of Manufacture
1965-69
Focusing System

Fixed focus

Lens

Kodak Kodar

Shutter

 

Metering System

Coupled selenium cell

Apertures

 

Flash
 
Film type / speeds

 

Battery type
n/a
Dimensions and weight

 

Retail price
 

 

 


About Kodak

Let me get something straight: Kodak was never about high quality photography. George Eastman wanted to make photography available for the masses, to put a camera in every hand. Previously, photography was a messy, icky affair with wet chemistry glass plates that had to be coated before each exposure and processed immediately in a darkroom tent. You literally needed your own pack mule to take photos anywhere.

Kodak developed the technique of putting film emulsion onto a thin flexible backing and thus developed the first roll film. Kodak also gave us the numbering system (Type 135 for 35mm film; Type120/220 for medium format roll film, etc.). Originally, 35mm film was designed solely for motion picture usage. It was Oscar Barnack's brilliant idea to use it for still photography that led to the Leica, and the development of 35mm miniature cameras.

Despite the fact that I'm a technical snob and wouldn't use (or touch!) any Kodak camera except a Nagel-type Retina and a film snob so the only Kodak film I use is Tri-X (I'm Fuji Film all the way otherwise), I do have to credit Kodak (and Leica) with making photography available to everyone. Otherwise, we'd all still be hauling heavy glass plate cameras around on our pack mules. If you think your SUV gets bad mileage! ...

 


On the Net

 


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